Waste of time

Sorry, this movie sucks

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Francis Ford Coppola made two separate films based on the novels of S. E. Hinton, The Outsiders and Rumble Fish. While both have an impressive visual style, and an amazing cast of then up and comers, Rumble Fish is the film I go back to. For years I thought this film was just a movie that my dad and I really liked and nobody else remembered. So I was super happy to see it get the Criterion Collection treatment. Mickey Rourke is an actor I have long been a fan of, and this is one of his finest performances.

This movie became one of my favorites before I even finished it and, in my opinion, it is one of the very best movies ever made. Everything in it is just perfect, from legendary cast, to strong story and great music, crowned with genius cinematography and directing. Absolute must watch for every movie lover.10/10

Rumble Fish is a surreal experience; a dreams-cape; a walk through the mind of a young adult boy. Based upon the novel by S.E. Hinton, the story is ultimately about two brothers. The youngest one is wondering two things: Why his brother left, and why he came back? The film feels like that mid-point between being awake and being asleep; you aren't sure what's real, and what's in your head. Or, in this case, in Rusty James' head. This makes the film harder to follow, but what saves it is masterful cinematography, powerful performances by our two male leads, and an all around unique style. With themes like fate, abandonment, drug-use, hopelessness, gang and hero-ship, Rumble Fish tackles them all strongly. I recommend seeing it at least once; for as a whole, Rumble Fish is a fantastic film, by one of cinema's greatest and most unique directors: Francis Ford Coppola.

Cinematically speaking, "Rumble Fish" is dynamic movie making. The crisp black and white photography, creative use of shadows and camera angles, and effective character portrayals make the film a modern day classic. With it's themes of alienation and loneliness it reminds me of 1971's "The Last Picture Show", a truly depressing movie once you delve into it. This movie also detours into the idea of mental illness for one of it's main characters, The Motorcycle Boy portrayed by Mickey Rourke. There are a number of incidents that take you in that direction, beginning with MB's first appearance on screen when he drives his motorcycle into the street punk getting beat up by brother Rusty James (Matt Dillon). Later on, Father (Dennis Hopper) opines that an acute perception can make you crazy, hinting at MB's outlook on life and how he was affected by seeing their mother out in California while Rusty presumed she was dead.Another surprising element of the story, to me at least, was the treatment of life after death showing Rusty James' spirit floating away after getting clubbed by the street thugs using the tire iron. The idea of one's spirit or ghost being able to observe what's happening around them after death isn't so novel any more, but once again, three decades ago putting this on film was something of a break through. Today there are many accounts of individuals who have experienced these sorts of phenomena.I also liked the idea of tying in the film's black and white style with Motorcycle Boy's color blindness. It allowed for the few brilliant flashes of color that accentuated the movie's title, as the only objects of color were the Siamese fighting fish, the rumble fish. Setting them free was a symbolic way for Motorcycle Boy to show his brother what he had to do to if he was to save himself from the boredom and monotony of his own life. The film is loaded with nuances like this that become more evident with repeat viewings. I watched the picture a couple times back to back and was surprised to acquire so much additional understanding the second time around. It's as if I gained an acute perception of what the writer and director were trying to say without actually going crazy.